Design and Construction
Swarbrick Bros. Yachts Pty Ltd built the hull and deck in solid fibreglass, without cored panels. The boat measures 8.00 meters overall, with a 2.70-meter beam and a design waterline of 7.10 meters.
Displacement is 1,400 kilograms, including 550 kilograms of lead ballast. That gives a ballast ratio of 39 percent. Together with a length-to-beam ratio of 2.96, these figures mark the Swarbrick 80 as a beamy, firmly planted small racer rather than a slender daysailer.
The deep fin keel draws about 1.40 to 1.50 meters, depending on load. That keeps her out of the thinnest shoals, though she can still slip into many modest marinas.
Rig and Sail Plan
The Swarbrick 80 has a fractional sloop rig and carries a great deal of sail for her size. She has more rig than 100% of all similar sailboats, indicating that she is significantly overrigged.
The reference sail plan lists an 18.0-square-meter mainsail and a 19.4-square-meter No1 genoa. With a 135 percent genoa, the sail-area-to-displacement ratio rises from 24.2 to 27.8. The standard combined mainsail-and-jib area is 29.7 square meters, and a 51.0-square-meter spinnaker is available.
The running rigging is sized accordingly. Halyards are 25.7 meters long and 8 mm in diameter. Sheets are 10 mm in diameter, with a 20-meter mainsheet and 17.6-meter spinnaker sheets.
Performance Character
A displacement-length ratio of 109 puts the Swarbrick 80 among the light racers. Her theoretical hull speed is 6.5 knots.
The Motion Comfort Ratio is 10.7, while the capsize screening value is 2.43. Wetted surface is about 22 square meters, and immersion is about 128 kg per centimeter, so the boat responds quickly to changes in crew weight and load.
Taken together, the light displacement, high sail-area-to-displacement ratio, and modest comfort number describe a lively inshore performer built for class racing rather than offshore passage work.
Verdict
The Swarbrick 80 is a purpose-built one-design that packs racing intensity into a small hull. She’s unapologetically overrigged for her length, light on her feet, and governed by strict class rules. She suits sailors who want measurable, repeatable competition and a simple coastal cruiser in the same boat.
Pros
- Strict one-design racing and cruising platform dating from 1978
- Light-displacement “light racer” with a high sail-area-to-displacement ratio
- Solid fibreglass hull and deck, with lead ballast and a fin keel
Cons
- Capsize screening value of 2.43
- Low comfort ratio makes her a lively rather than plush cruiser
- Draft of up to 1.50 meters limits access to the thinnest-water anchorages
